Abstract
The socio-economic gradient in political participation is a growing concern in Germany and many other democracies. We investigate whether campaigns that politicize socio-economic conflicts can mobilize the poor to become more politically active. Using a mixed-methods design that draws on party manifestos, election surveys, and focus group discussions, we show that the 2021 election followed a trend of re-positioning of the SPD, shifting their focus again towards redistributive issues. However, these changes were only partly perceived by citizens on the micro level. While greater politicization of socio-economic issues was followed by greater political involvement of the poor in recent elections, the SPD could not capitalize much on that development. Our qualitative findings indicate that the poor paid little attention to the SPD campaign discourse outside the minimum wage issue. Furthermore, it becomes obvious that the SPD faces a greater credibility problem among its former electorate.
Published Version
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